6.5 Gestalt Theory

Graphic design can be a source of conflict in some workplaces. People often have strong opinions about what they like and dislike regarding visuals. We go by our gut feeling. But, these gut feelings are highly subjective and based in our context. This can make it hard to evaluate graphics when we’re not the target audience fairly. Sometimes, it helps to have some language to talk about design choices.

Gestalt Theory is framework of understanding how people look at visuals as a whole. It was developed in the 1920s by the German psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka. The term Gestalt means unified whole. Gestalt works because the mind seeks to organize visual information. There are six basic Gestalt principles: (1) similarity, (2) continuation, (3) closure, (4) proximity, (5) figure/ground, and (6) symmetry and order.

Similarity

A series of rectangles and circles to indicate the similarity principle.
Figure 6.5.1 Similarity
When visual elements have a similar shape or look as one another, a viewer will often connect the discrete components and see a pattern. This effect can be used to create a single illustration, image, or message from a series of separate elements. Basically, if something has he same shape, colour, size or texture, humans will see them as linked. For example, every ‘Questions for Reflection’ section in this book have the same colour, shape and layout. If you start using a particular font and size for a heading, you should continue the pattern so that readers aren’t confused.

Continuation

Diagram of continuity. Image description available.
Figure 6.5.2 Continuity. A series of rounded rectangles lined up to create a continuous curvy line across the shapes to illustrate the principle of continuity.

Continuation is the tendency of the mind to see a single continuous line of connection rather than discrete components (see Figure 6.5.2). The eye is drawn along a path, line, or curve, as long as there is enough proximity between objects to do so. This tendency can be used to point toward another element in the composition, or to draw the eye around a composition. The eye will continue along the path or direction suggested by the composition even when the composition ends, continuing beyond the page dimensions.

To understand this principle, think about this famous optical illusion, which is a drawing of a tree that has several faces hidden in it. You’re able to see the faces because your mind “continues” the lines to complete the shape of the face.

Closure

Three black circles surround a triangle with a black outline that has a triangle of whitespace on top illustrating closure.
Figure 6.5.3 Closure

Closure is a design technique that uses the mind’s tendency to complete incomplete shapes (see Figure 6.5.3). The principle works if the viewer is given enough visual information to perceive a complete shape in the negative space. In essence, the mind ‘closes’ a form, object, or composition. In the example above, the triangle is formed by the viewer’s mind, which wants to close the shape formed by the gaps and spaces of the adjacent circles and lines. The partial triangle, outlined in black also hints at the missing shape. The above optical illusion is also an example of closure, because your mind ‘closes’ the head shape.

Proximity

A series of black boxes all lined up. In the bottom right, the boxes begin to fall away
Figure 6.5.4 Proximity

 

Proximity is an arrangement of elements that creates an association or relationship between them (see Figure 6.5.4). If individual elements are similar, they will probably be perceived first as a whole and second as discrete components. If, like the example above, some of the components form to create a large ‘whole,’ similar elements positioned away from the main shape will also be associated with the large shape. In this case, the viewer interprets them as falling off or away from the main shape. The shapes used do not have to be geometric to create the effect of proximity. Any components that are similar in shape, colour, texture, size, or other visual attribute can achieve proximity.

Thinking about proximity helps you to think about how your audience is finding relationships between the parts of your document. For example, if a photo is under a headline in a newspaper, the audience will associate the two elements.

Figure/Ground

A checkerboard of black and white shapes, which shows figure/ground segregation
Figure 6.5.5 Figure/Ground

Figure/ground segregation refers to the contrast between the foreground and background of an image. Graphic designers often use this principle to design negative space around an object. The area where it’s most commonly used is when laying text over an image. If there’s not enough contrast between the figure and the ground, the reader will not be able to read the text.

Symmetry and Order

Black squares make up the shape of a heart.
Figure 6.5.6 Symmetry

Symmetry and order follow the premise that a composition should not create a sense of disorder or imbalance (see Figure 6.5.6), because the viewer will waste time trying to mentally reorder it rather than focus on the embedded content. The photographic example in Figure 6.5.7 is composed symmetrically and allows the viewer to concentrate on the figure in the centre. Achieving symmetry in a composition also gives the composition balance and a feeling of harmony.

 

Poster of the Chicago World's Fair. Image description available.
Figure 6.5.7 Example of symmetry and order. A poster for the Chicago World’s Fair by Weimer Pursell (Public Domain), has a strong sense of symmetry in its composition. There is a big tower stretching across the middle of the page and two smaller towers of equal lengths on each side.

To see Gestalt Theory in action, browse this image of a 1950s movie festival poster. See how many principles you can find, then click on the hotspots to see some of the principles.

Poster by Piva. © Festival de Cannes. Used under fair dealing for educational purposes.

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“Gestalt Theory” from Business Writing For Everyone by Arley Cruthers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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Organizational Business Communication Copyright © 2021 by Arley Cruthers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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